The first workshop for Dalit Christian artists has stressed the need for reviving the long forgotten but rich artistic heritage of the community. Around 20 participants from various parts of India attended the May 19-21 workshop at the Indian Social Institute, Bengaluru. It was organized by the Office for Scheduled Caste/Backward Class under the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India. Jesuit Father Selvaraj Arulnathan, director of the Indian Social Institute, Bangalore, inaugurated the workshop. Besides students of art colleges, the participants included professional and experienced artists of different age groups.
As reported by mattersindia.com, Father Devasagayaraj M Zakarias, national secretary of the CBCI Office for Dalit Development remarked that “ It is the first workshop organized for the Dalit Christian artists in India. It aimed to create and promote the Dalit art which is “so rich but forgotten along the history.”
The workshop ended with an exhibition of the paintings drawn by the participants. Several visitors and art lovers said they were amazed at the quality of the paintings the participants drew during the three-day workshop.
Source: www.mattersindia.com
